Several Thompson collectors are aware that as an Ex British Army
Armourer and author of The Guns from Dagenham, for the past few years I have been
collecting and researching the whole story of the Sten gun. This will hopefully be
published by Collector Grade next year. Every so often, during my research and in
conversation with other Ex wartime Armourers, I come across information that relates to
Thompson guns in UK Military service.

Recently I saw information in a wartime armourers notes relating to
Thompson guns. But first, a bit about our Armourers. Those that were recruited as 'boy
soldiers' at 15 years of age were apprentices, trained for 4 years at the training school
at Hilsea, near Portsmouth in Hampshire. Those recruited as adults plus those called up
for war service as Armourers were trained at Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire. This
information comes from the Armourers training wing technical notes from Melton Mowbray and
concerns repairs to the woodwork of Thompson guns. But it starts by reminding Armourers
that only those first Thompson guns issued actually belonged to Britain; In fact she
purchased these with her valuable gold reserves and as such, belonged to her. Later
Thompson guns were only lent or leased to her. Hence the term LEND-LEASE. These guns were
instantly recognizable by the term 'US PROPERTY' marked thereon.Many of you, like me, will
immediately answer that this is not strictly correct. I am aware of that of course but as
a rough and ready guide, it was the yardstick for the UK Military.

As the Thompson was a VERY expensive gun for Britain to buy, it followed
that we wanted to get the maximum value out of it. As a result, we formulated a specific
repair schedule. This might answer a few queries for US collectors especially those that
might own Thompson guns with British parts fitted. It was no secret that the sale of spare
parts formed a good slice of the business and profit. And Britain, being at war, didn't
want to buy spare parts when she didn't have to, decided on a certain course of action.
The first was that Armourers were instructed that when a replacement fore-grip was
required, under no circumstances would the expensive vertical grip be used, but only the
less expensive horizontal grip when these are available, would be used. It is quite clear
that the horizontal grip was being produced in the UK because the instruction refers to
these being 'locally produced'. I don't think for one minute that we bothered about
the niceties of licensing agreements at the time either!